Little Warrior
by Penrynandtheshadowhunters
Summary: After escaping the Half Moon Bay Aerie, Penryn struggles to keep her internal vault shut resulting in night terrors. Raffe struggles with his feelings, trying to balance his desire to protect Penryn and not stepping over his self-imposed boundaries. Will he be able to resist when he sees what terrorizes Penryn in her dreams? Serious Raffryn from Raffe's POV.
1. Chapter 1 Curiosity

Raffe could sense it before he heard it. Panic. Dread. Terror.

"Raffe." A thin voice laced with worry.

His eyes opened, immediately adjusting to the dark room of the beach house he, Penryn, and Paige had found after escaping swarm of locust-hybrids from the aerie at Half Moon Bay. Raffe half expected Penryn to be standing over him trying to warn him of some unknown terror he had somehow missed. Instead of looking into Penryn's dark, stubborn eyes, the ceiling met his gaze. Turning his head, Raffe saw that Penryn was still curled into a ball on the couch closest to his. Her tiny frame wrapped in an over-sized gray college sweatshirt she found in a drawer, and a red knit blanket he found at the back of a closet. The only one in the house. He smiled at the find, happy to find something to stop Penryn's shivering. Lately she was shivering all the time. It was the one thing that constantly reminded him she was human. He didn't like it.

In the days he had gotten to know Penryn, he had quickly realized that Penryn was a force to be reckoned with, and she was someone he could trust and rely on. The thought of putting his trust in someone else, especially a Daughter of Men, caused his chest to tighten. He knew it was dangerous, but he had always been an adrenaline junkie. Not that Penryn was his fix. She was something more. More than Raffe was willing to admit. Most days he forgot she was human. He forgot she was fragile until moments like these, when she would shiver and call out his name in panic.

In the dark, Raffe could see Penryn's face as clear as day. Her lips barely parted, taking in slow breaths, dark lashes fluttering ever so gently against her pale cheeks, her head cushioned in a halo of dark hair. To anyone passing by, Penryn would look like she was sleeping peacefully, but to his discerning angelic eyes, he could see the differences.

Raffe studied her, registering the small furrow between her brows. The way her breathing hitched and sped up almost imperceptibly. The slightly down turned corners of her mouth. He could even hear her heartbeat speed up and slow down, and right now it was racing. Raffe chuckled softly remembering the numerous times he heard Penryn's heart speed when he got near her. He always kept that knowledge to himself not wanting to embarrass her, but also wanting to keep some secrets. After all, what's being an angel without some mystery? There was plenty about him that Penryn didn't know.

Raffe sat up, keeping his intense gaze focused on Penryn. He hated to wake her. Penryn had been having trouble sleeping ever since killing the angel with burnt orange wings and watching Paige toss Beliel around like a rag doll. Night terrors plagued her. She would thrash and kick in her sleep. But her wail was the worst. A piercing scream filled with loss and devastation that chilled Raffe's blood. Paige had taken to sleeping in another room to distance herself from her sister's pain. Raffe would never leave her side, holding her, trying to keep her from hurting herself, until she came out of the dream. Then keeping a watchful eye on her throughout the night. Raffe would gladly give up sleep to make sure Penryn was safe.

Penryn had once mentioned filing something away in her vault. Raffe knew all too well about his own vault. Even his was bulging at the hinges. He worried that Penryn's was a dam ready to explode flooding her with a lifetime of nightmares. Her fitful sleeps and sadness behind her eyes when awake was all Raffe needed to know that his instincts were accurate.

Raffe wasn't sure if she was having another terror tonight, but it was apparent she was having some kind of nightmare. It was to be expected with everything she went through in the past few weeks. All the death, destruction, and loss she had not only seen, but imparted. It wasn't fair that this magnificent individual had to endure so much. She deserved so much more. A normal life. Free from bloodshed and paranoia. Free from clinically insane mothers, absent fathers, handicapped sisters. Free from burden. But then again this was Penryn. Penryn who had grown up before her time. Penryn who put herself last to make sure her sister was safe, loved and cared for. Penryn who endured abuse and neglect at the hands of her own mother. Penryn who took care of herself and everyone else. Penryn who had to learn to fight to survive even in her own home. Raffe wouldn't want her any other way. She was perfect the way she was - in an annoying sort of way. She was strong. She was brave. She was a warrior.

"My little warrior," Raffe whispered to Penryn. He would never tell her that to her face. How could he?

Raffe stood up, the cool moonlight casting shadows across the sharp planes of his face. Illuminating his broad chest and shoulders. Causing his black demon wings, gliding behind him, to look slick as shark skin in the night. He pushed his dark hair out of his face and walked to Penryn. His deep blue eyes still intensely focused on her, waiting to rescue her at a moment's notice. She didn't have to be alone in this anymore. He would help her all he could.

No matter how he joked, Penryn did save his life. She helped him when his own kind left him for dead. He did owe her. Since that night he secretly vowed to always protect her. Even if they could never be together like he wanted - lives intertwined like the snowy thread and midnight hair on the hilt of his sword - he would be there. Watching.

Raffe sat on the floor beside Penryn's head, gently running his fingers over her dark hair, occasionally brushing her cheek. Another soft whimper escaped her lips, wrapping around Raffe's heart, tugging him closer. His face now inches from hers. Raffe sighed, knowing that with a breath he could close the gap and their lips would meet. Instead he touched his cheek to her forehead, pushing away the dangerous thought. "Shh. It's okay. I'm right here."

Raffe's mind returned to that night in the guest house. The first night he held her close. The first time he had given in to immoral thoughts about a Daughter of Men, and the first time he had to subdue them. After running off the hellions, he was broken down. Worn out both physically and mentally. His chest ached with a dull, hollow pang that only another body could fill. His mind tinkered with the thought of pulling Penryn into his arms, burying his head in her soft hair, kissing her cheeks, easing the pain, but he quickly pushed the illicit thoughts away before they went any further. But when he returned to the living room to Penryn lying on the couch whimpering, he sighed and his heart softened. She was no longer the pesky girl asking a million questions, but someone in need. Someone like him. Compassion and sympathy swelled in him. Not in a condescending - awww-look-at-that-little-girl way - he would never dare feel that for Penryn, she was much too resilient for that - but in a way you feel sympathy for a close friend. Camaraderie. These new feelings surprised him, especially with a Daughter of Men. He had been alone for so long, this was extremely dangerous territory.

At first he had only tried to silence her sounds, comforting her with words. "Hush." He reasoned that he was only trying to avoid drawing unwanted visitors. But with each whimper and shiver that shook her tiny frame, Raffe's armor of isolation and solitude broke down. He looked at her face, his eyes softening, thinking how innocent and beautiful she looked, but also, deep down, she was strong and brave and funny. Someone that kept him on his toes. A fleeting thought of "equal" crossed his mind.

With a shake of his head and some reluctance, Raffe plucked the couch cushions from Penryn's back and crawled behind her, cradling her in his arms. She was small and soft and smelled faintly of vanilla and orchids. She immediately relaxed. Her body folding against his with a sigh. It took longer for him to relax, but like riding a bicycle (or in his case flying for the first time) he pushed the awkwardness away and curled around her exhaling the ache in his chest. A warm comfort flooded his body, relaxing his tense muscles. Before long it just felt right, and the thought of "equal" crossed his mind once again.

"Raffe." Penryn's quiet voice pulled him from his memories. He pulled, looking at her face. Her eyebrows furrowed more severely now, her mouth in a frown. Raffe stroked her cheek before standing to reposition himself on the cushion by her head. He effortlessly pulled her upper body into his lap. Her head resting against his chest. Holding her like a child might hold a teddy bear before drifting off to sleep.

"What are you dreaming of my little warrior?" Raffe whispered against the top of Penryn's head still trying to avoid waking her.

Ever since the night terrors started, he was the only one Penryn called out for, but she would never tell him about the dreams, no matter how much he asked. Penryn would always reply with the same answer,"That puppy dog look will never work on me."

Raffe so desperately wanted to know what haunted his partner. He wanted to fix it. He wanted to protect her from it. In a heartbeat he answered his question with a question of his own. "Why don't you find out?" echoed in his mind. His eyebrow arching in curiosity running over the list of pros and cons.

Curiosity was a funny thing. It was helpful when looking for food and clothes and shelter, especially in this post apocalyptic world, but under normal circumstances, curiosity could be dangerous, after all it did kill the proverbial cat. Raffe imagined running his fingers across Penryn's temple and satisfying that curiosity. What it would be like to stop the night terrors once and for all. To defeat whatever it was that was slowly wilting his small and mighty warrior.

Penryn had jokingly mentioned that she didn't want an angel reading her mind. She was right in a sense, Raffe couldn't read her mind, but he could reach into her mind, if she let him. He could enter her dream, with subconscious permission, and possibly stop her night terrors once and for all, or at least know what was bothering Penryn so he could help in the waking realm. This was nothing like mind reading, though Raffe wished he could know what Penryn was thinking when at those moments when he could feel annoyance and anger pulsing from her. When looked at him with narrowed eyes and arched brows. He would bet his wings that her inner dialog would make a sailor blush. Hell it would probably make an archangel blush.

Penryn shuddered against his chest, and Raffe pulled her closer. His mind warred. Curiosity versus common sense. Penryn would kill him if he walked her dreams, but then again, if he could get in, it was because she wanted him to. In the end curiosity won out, and Raffe tentatively placed his fingers against her temple and was immediately pulled into Penryn's mind.


	2. Chapter 2 Dreams

Confusion rocked Raffe's mind. He had only done this once before when interrogating an enemy. This was nothing like that. Penryn's mind was in complete disarray. Acrid smoke assaulted his nose and eyes making it harder for him to find his footing and a way out of the confusion. He staggered backwards, tripping over a low boulder. He hit the ground with a thud - only in Penryn's dream would he be clumsy. Finally adjusting to his surroundings, Raffe gaped at the view before him taking it all in. The world was on fire. Engulfed in flames of deep orange, gold and crimson. If it wasn't for the heat and black smoke rising around him, he would have thought it was the most beautiful sunset he had ever seen.

Penryn stood before him on a gray, rocky cliff surrounded by tufts of singed grass, her toes etching slowly over the edge. She was cornered by a wall of flames shooting into the sky. She wore black leather. Her dark hair cascading down her back in waves that Raffe wanted to reach out and touch. Her smoky eyes reflected the dancing flames as she looked back and through Raffe, not registering his presence. Penryn's feelings crashed into Raffe like waves at the beach making him take a step back. The helplessness. The rage. The sadness. The overwhelming feeling of utter defeat and failure. He was right. Her vault was slowly unraveling at the seams.

Over the ocean angels floated in the air, the flames licking but not consuming their wings. Deep laughter echoed from their chests. Taunting Penryn.

"Aww, look at the little Daughter of Man, helpless and all alone," said an angel with iridescent wings resembling opal.

Another with pale green wings outlined with a shimmery black the color of coal joined in. "Yeah. Maybe you should call Raffe to rescue you. You're his pet you know? Nothing more than a lowly worm to entertain him. I'm sure he would come get you."

He looked to his gang before bursting out into a deep laugh that caused the blood in Raffe's veins to ignite in outrage. How dare he speak to Penryn like that.

"Oh yeah. That's right!" the angel snickered, looking at his friends. "Raffe doesn't want you anymore! He would rather kill you than be left with you. A Daughter of Man that just wore out her welcome."

The other angels joined in the laughter. Raffe's wings spread and his hand flew to his hip before realizing his sword wasn't there. He shook with a need to shut these bastards up.

An angel with golden wings flew over the others, drawing close to Penryn, running a finger down her jaw line to her lips before lifting her chin to look her in the eyes. Raffe's hands clenched at his side. His jaw in a taut line. His heart hammering in his ears.

"Don't worry little pet." The angel's husky voice conveyed everything he wanted from Penryn. "If Raffe doesn't want you, I know plenty of other angels that would loooooooove to have you."

The angel looked at Penryn with blown out pupils, biting his bottom lip. Raffe knew what was on this angel's mind and it wasn't going to happen, not while he was here. He flapped his still spread wings, trying to go after the ass that was tormenting his little warrior, but he couldn't move. His feet were frozen to the rocks below.

Penryn only stood there, staring at an unfixed point in the ocean below. Raffe could see her face crumble. Penryn was a fighter until the end, but in this dream it seemed that she had given up. Was she ready to give up? That wasn't the Penryn that Raffe knew. A single tear fell down her cheek.

Raffe called to her, but it fell on deaf ears. Penryn continued to look out into the ocean, the angels flying around her. She wasn't letting him go any further than observing her dream.

Quickly the dream shifted. The angels were no longer in the sky mocking Penryn. It was only Penryn on the cliff. This time she was looking around as if searching for something or someone. Her eyes wide and frantic. Her arms wrapped around her tiny body trying to stop the shivers that wracked her. A cold breeze from the ocean made her shudder more violently despite the bonfire they were encased in.

"Paige!" Penryn screamed still searching. "Paige! Where are you?" her screams were directed to the crashing waves below.

A small voice called from the flames. "Ryn-Ryn? I'm right here."

Penryn turned to the voice taking a deep breath and dabbing at her eyes. A smile crossed her lips. Paige shuffled out of the flames. She was still cut and stitched with angry bruises covering her face and body, but it was Paige. Raffe could feel Penryn relax.

"Ryn-Ryn!" Paige called, a reserved smile tugging at the corner of the crude stitches.

"Paige." Penryn exhaled, releasing air like she had forgotten to breathe. A gracious smile spread across her face, relaxing her in a way that Raffe had never seen. Penryn ran to Paige closing their distance, but as she got closer Penryn's relaxed face tightened up. Sorrow, regret, and pain slapped Raffe across the face, almost knocking the air out of his chest. Penryn's smile turned to a frown. Her eyes grew cold. Her shoulders tensed. Her pace slowed and her steps became more deliberate. She slowly pulled a beaming Paige into her arms, gently smoothing her hair.

"I missed you Ryn-Ryn," Paige said, burrowing her head under Penryn's arms.

"I missed you too," Penryn whispered. "And I'm sorry. So very sorry."

With one quick maneuver Penryn twirled and tossed her sister into the churning ocean below.

Raffe's mouth twisted into a silent scream, his arms shot out, trying to save Paige from the watery grave, but Penryn still wasn't letting him interact, only observe. Raffe's hand covered his mouth in shock and sick with grief for both Paige and Penryn. What had he just witnessed? He had to remind himself that this was a dream. Nothing more than Penryn's subconscious dealing with the overstuffed vault. What was in there that would cause this?

Penryn crouched at the edge of the cliff, tears silently streaming down her face. "I'm so sorry. So so sorry. I had to Paigey. I just had to. I had to save you. It was the only way." Her back spasmed as sobs racked her body.

Raffe moved forward toward Penryn to comfort her, but his body was frozen in place. Penryn wasn't letting him move. He silently pleaded with Penryn's subconscious to let him in. To let him talk to her. He couldn't be an innocent bystander any longer. Just observing and not protecting Penryn was not in his blood. He was a warrior and his partner was in trouble. Yes, that was what he would tell himself, but if he was honest, he had to help for another reason.

Raffe tried to move again and this time he was rewarded.

"Penryn?" His voice was soft and he approached her like she was a wild animal.

She turned her head, looking at him through a curtain of dark hair noticing him for the first time. "Raffe?" Her voice wavered, unsure. Her eyes full of pain that hurt Raffe to look at.

"Yes, it's me." Raffe held out his hands.

Penryn cautiously stood and closed the gap, allowing his hands to envelop hers. Raffe could see the uncertainty and relief clashing in her eyes. He pulled her against him, wrapping his arms around her shaking shoulders. Her hands desperately clutching his narrow waist.

"Shh. It's okay Penryn. I'm right here." Raffe ran a hand over her hair, touching his cheek to the top of her head.

"But you said…" Penryn trailed off, tears choking off the rest of her words.

Raffe only held her tighter. If this was a nightmare, he didn't want to see her night terrors. He knew she was a warrior, human status or not, but this would shake even a mighty warrior angel. He admired her strength and how she woke from the dreams with a stoic look covering the true pain.

"What happened? What did I say?" Raffe didn't want to know, but he could guess what happened from the clues left behind by the teasing angels.

Penryn looked up at him, tears glistening in her eyes. "It doesn't matter. I knew you would come back. I knew you didn't mean those awful things you said. I always knew I could count on you."

Raffe's heart constricted in his chest at the thought of Penryn ever feeling abandoned by him. He made a promise to fix that immediately when they woke. He would let her see into his soul, as much as he could. How he saw her. How he felt about her. He never wanted to be the cause of any of her pain. He realized he was in dangerous territory again, but he didn't care. Right now it was about Penryn.

"Yes, you're right. You can always count on me…" the rest of what he wanted to say froze in his throat. It had been such a long time since he had spoken such words. He would save it for when they woke. He knew he couldn't save her from her own mind, at least in the dream, but he could try when she was awake. Instead he finished the thought with a feather-light kiss to her lips.

Slowly the living room came into focus. Raffe couldn't shake the intense feelings from Penryn's dream. He took steady, deep breathes while focusing on the black and white nature photographs hanging on the walls of the beach house and the crash of the waves outside the sliding glass door. As his mind calmed, he made a mental note of Paige in the bedroom, her breathing and heart beat steady, and the quiet inside and outside the house. How long was he out? It felt like hours, but it could have only been minutes.

Raffe still cradled Penryn against him, but she must have crawled into his lap during the course of the dream. Her head snuggled into the crook of his neck. Her arms wrapped around him. Her legs curled against her chest under his arm. Her breathing was deep and calm. Her eyes standing still behind the lids. A small snore bypassed her lips. Raffe couldn't help but smile. A real smile. It was a relief to see Penryn sleeping peacefully and dreamlessly again. He wondered if his presence in her dream had anything to do with that.


	3. Chapter 3 Release

Raffe's favorite time of day had always been dawn right before the sun awoke. It was when day and night mingled in quietness like a truce. It brought a promise of new beginnings and a lingering whisper of the past. There was always a calmness to it. Now it brought a new reward: Penryn. It was during this quiet time that he and Penryn would whisper to each other about anything and everything. Yesterday Penryn told the tale of how she learned to fight. Raffe broke down in laughter at how she eventually figured out that fighting dirty was its own fighting style. He finished with a story about fighting hellions for the first time. The day before he told her how he liked her new haircut, and she scoffed saying she missed her long hair. Jokes ensued about angels not being able to drag her away "caveman style." They were always relaxed, sitting side by side, their knees barely touching, their hands occasionally brushing against each other. Raffe enjoyed getting to know her as a person and a friend. She still intrigued and entertained him every bit as much as the first time she slapped him across the face and "struggled" to get him into Paige's wheelchair.

This morning, Raffe woke right before the sun did. Penryn sprawled out across his chest, softly snoring. Raffe's shoulders shook with a silent laugh. He filed the image away to use for teasing ammunition later. They had somehow maneuvered out of their sitting position to reclining on the couch, a tangled mass of arms and legs. Raffe looked at the ceiling watching the sun creep across the wooden beams, casting shadows on the far wall. His mind flitted to last night, but didn't stay there long. He knew what he was going to have to do when Penryn woke.

Before long, Penryn started shifting in his arms. "Mmmmmm." Penryn mumbled stretching her limbs against Raffe as if he was a very firm couch.

Penryn froze realizing she wasn't alone. She palmed a hand up Raffe's chest and on to his face. Raffe chuckled. Her eyes shot open with a fierceness and looked up at Raffe, her dark eyes full of questions and something else Raffe couldn't quite put his finger on. Raffe's eyes, now bluer from the sun's budding rays, met hers. He smirked and wiggled his eyebrows. Even though he had held her close during her dreams, they had never once slept in each other's arms since that first time at the guest house.

"Care to explain?" Penryn asked waving her finger back and forth between them.

"You couldn't stand to be away from me last night." Raffe's smirk grew into a full blown smile. "I kept pushing you away, but you wouldn't take no for an answer. I'm irresistible like that."

"In your dreams." Penryn playfully shoved his chest and gave him a look that only made him laugh harder.

"I don't see you moving to get away from me, now do I?" Raffe loved teasing her. It always made her smile, and anything that made Penryn smile was worth it. Raffe lived for the moments when a genuine smile would light up Penryn's face. It only melted more of his armor.

Penryn grunted and sat up on the side of the couch. She started to get up when Raffe grabbed her arm.

She turned around, cocking her head to the side. "Gotta go to the bathroom. _If you must know_."

Raffe gave her his best puppy dog look and let go. "Okay," Raffe said, turning serious, "but we need to talk. Don't take too long."

Penryn's eyebrow arched in question, but she didn't say anything, only kept walking to the bathroom, stiffly stretching on the way.

Raffe smiled to himself, thinking about how Penryn had taken to freshening up every morning before their little chats. Sometimes he forgot she was seventeen. Sometimes he forgot she was even a Daughter of Man. Sometimes he forgot that her crush shouldn't be reciprocated.

A few minutes later Penryn returned, her hair brushed into soft waves framing her delicate face and the scent of soap and mint lingering in the air around her.

"So, what's this we need to talk about?" she asked sitting on the couch next to Raffe, their knees touching.

Raffe didn't know any good way of getting into the subject. "I have to tell you something."

"Yeah, you already said that." Penryn was growing anxious like a kid called to the principal's office.

Her words from the dream echoed in Raffe's ears. "I knew I could count on you."

"How'd you sleep last night?" Raffe started.

"Fine." Penryn was short, starting to lose her patience. "What's this about?"

Raffe squirmed under her intense gaze. He knew it wasn't possible, but it felt like she was staring into his soul.

He looked at his feet. "Remember how I told you I couldn't read minds?" He reminded himself that he was an archangel. _The Wrath of God._ There was no way a seventeen year old girl was going to intimidate him.

"Yeah…" Penryn's words trailed off.

Without missing a beat, her head shot up. "You didn't lie did you? You can't read my mind can you?"

Raffe glanced at her sideways with a smile. "No. That's not it at all."

Penryn shot him a look that said he better hurry up or else she would pull out Pooky Bear.

"It's along the same lines, but different. You've been having night terrors, right?"

"Right."

"And I wanted to help."

"Go on."

"Well, angels have a special ability-"

Penryn's eyes narrowed into menacing slits.

Raffe continued, ignoring the accusation in her look. "Angels have the special ability to reach into another angel's mind."

He paused letting Penryn take it in.

"Uh-huh." Penryn gestured for him to get to the part that mattered to her.

"As well as humans."

Penryn kept her gaze on him. Raffe could see her mind working. Penryn weighed what he was saying. Counting each word. Making sense of each syllable.

The silence that filled the room was unlike any other early morning chat Penryn and Raffe had had. This one was laced with undeniable tension and new levels of emotions. New levels of friendship. New levels of relationship. It was a delicate dance between the two. Raffe had never once encroached Penryn's space, and she had never invaded his. This was new territory. It was intimate.

Raffe rolled the thought around in his head - intimate and Penryn and him. It was dangerous, but the thought sent a shiver through his core. It must have shown on his face because Penryn gave him a funny look.

"You okay there Raffe? Something funny?"

"Uh. No. Sorry." Raffe steeled his face into a stoic mask.

"So, back to the issue at hand, what are you saying Raffe?" Penryn eyed him carefully, trying not to jump to any conclusions.

Raffe sighed letting everything out a rush. "Last night you woke me up. You were having a nightmare. I tried calming you down, but short of waking you, nothing was going to help."

"You could have woken me up. It wasn't a big deal."

"It was a big deal to me." Raffe said.

Penryn nodded in understanding and pressed him to go on. She was curious.

"I got curious -"

"Curiosity killed the cat you know?" Penryn interrupted, directing it as much at herself as to him.

"Yeah, I gathered." Raffe smiled. "So I was curious about what was causing you such heartache in your dreams."

Raffe gathered Penryn's hands in his, his voice gentle. "I hated seeing you in pain. I wanted to see if I could fix it."

Penryn lightly squeezed his hand, her eyes softening.

"So, I entered your dream."

"Wait. How did you do that?" Penryn asked.

"Like this." Raffe placed his warm fingers against her temple.

"That's it? I didn't have to give you permission or anything?" Penryn asked.

"Oh you did-"

"But I wasn't awake. That much was clear." Penryn wasn't unkind. She was sincerely grasping for understanding as if the whole subject fascinated and frustrated her at the same time.

"If you would stop interrupting me, I could tell you." Raffe teased, staring at Penryn until she nodded for him to go on.

"Your subconscious gave me permission. Without it, I couldn't have gotten in. Simple as that."

Penryn pursed her lips and rolled her eyes as if silently cursing her subconscious. Raffe figured she was.

"So what did you see?" Penryn asked tentatively as if she was scared to hear the answer.

"Don't you remember?"

"I remember bits and pieces. It was rough."

Raffe noticed a shiver go up Penryn's spine as she turned inward.

He pulled her close, placing an arm around her shoulders, her head on his chest. His cheek rested on the top of her head.

Raffe's voice was like a breath. "Yeah. It was."

He didn't want to say what he had to say next, but he knew it was a given if he wanted his little warrior to be safe and not unravel at the seams.

"We need to talk about it."

Penryn pulled back, tears building in the corner of her eyes. "I really don't want to."

"I know, but we need to. I want you safe." Raffe reached out, tilting her head back. Tears were freely flowing down her face now. Raffe lightly brushed a tear off her pale cheek.

His heart was breaking. He hated seeing Penryn like this. He knew that this feeling would only get him into trouble, but he didn't care at this point. All he wanted was Penryn safe, and if that meant letting his feelings show, he would do it.

Penryn looked up, her face set in determination. There was the warrior Raffe knew and… loved. Loved? Raffe shook his head. That word was not allowed in regards to a Daughter of Men, even one as magnificent as Penryn. He shook his head, but the word never left his mind. Love. He couldn't love a Daughter of Men. He liked her well enough. Yeah he really liked her. He knew he had romantic feelings for her, but love?

Raffe took a deep breath and cleared his head, continuing his conversation. "You know that your so-called vault is about to bust, right?"

Penryn nodded, tears continuing to stream down her face, but Raffe pressed on.

"You're going to have to talk about it. You have to let it all, or at least most, of it out. Even warriors have to let some steam out of their vault every once in awhile."

Penryn took a shallow breath, steadying herself enough to speak. "But I'm not a warrior, and I can't talk to anyone about it. Paige is much too young and you wouldn't understand."

Raffe measured his words carefully. He had to be careful not to overstep his boundaries. "But I would understand you. I always understand another warrior."

Time went into slow motion for Raffe. Penryn's jaw dropped. Her eyes wide. She didn't need to say what she was thinking. Raffe could see it written all over her face. He pulled her close again, running his fingers through her hair touching his forehead to hers.

"Yes, you heard me right. I consider you a true warrior. You're my partner. My little warrior." Raffe's voice was husky and overrunning with all the things he wanted to say but couldn't.

A breathy giggle bubbled up from Penryn's chest and her face suddenly flushed. "Who are you calling little?"

Penryn couldn't stop giggling. Raffe could tell she was genuinely overjoyed by him seeing her as a warrior. Someone equal to himself.

Raffe only smiled, watching Penryn's shoulders shake in joy, her eyes light up behind the tears. He couldn't help it anymore. He leaned forward and lightly touched his lips to hers. He couldn't resist her anymore, especially like this. Laughing and relieved. Penryn pressed into the kiss wrapping her arms around his neck, but as quickly as it started, it stopped. Raffe pulled back. Penryn startled at the abrupt end to the kiss.

"We still need to talk," Raffe said.

"We have better things to do," Penryn said pulling his head back down and leaning in for another kiss.

Raffe pulled back. "There will be plenty of time for that, but first your dream. There was a lot going on in there, but I know there is one part that I can put your mind to ease about."

Raffe could see the irritation and fire in Penryn's eyes. He felt the same way. They had not kissed since the Aerie in San Francisco. That kiss was fire and ice coursing through his veins, igniting his every nerve ending. This kiss was fresh water after years of drought. He wanted to capture her soft supple lips in his never breaking the kiss again. Tasting her - a mix of sugar and salt. Inhaling her intoxicating scent. He wanted it more than anything else, but priorities.

"What can you put my mind to ease about?" Penryn asked. Her voice had a hard edge to it, clearly irritated about bringing up unwanted thoughts. "The part where angels burned down my planet? Or the part where I killed my sister? Or the part where you…" She trailed off.

"I can't do anything about the angels." Raffe was sympathetic.

"You killing your sister was probably all about you wanting to protect her. You're subconsciously upset that you couldn't protect her from Doc," Raffe said. "That's going to take time. I know that you dreaming of that was shocking, but it couldn't be further from the truth. You love Paige. I see that. I know that. You would never hurt her."

Raffe paused, watching Penryn.

"But the part about me - that I can fix."

Raffe took her delicate face in his hands. Letting his armor pull away. Letting his heart be exposed. It took all his might not to run away. He had destroyed legions and exacted the wrath of God on the world, but telling this Daughter of Men how he felt? It was harder than any of that combined.

"In your dream, I left you. I told you things that were hurtful."

Penryn nodded.

"I want to say now that it was just a dream. I know I haven't made my true feelings known. I've kept you at arm's length. How could you have known that I would have never said those things to you?"

Penryn's eyes shaded over in a daze, as if what he was saying was too much for her to take in, to accept.

"That was not now, nor ever, true. I will never leave you. You can always count on me." Raffe's face was only inches from hers.

"But one of these days you will leave me. It's how it has to be." Penryn could barely get the words out.

"No. I'll never leave you. One of these days I will get my proper wings back, and I will have to leave to fight against Uriel, but I will _always_ come back."

"Raffe, you know that's not true." Despair filled her voice.

"It is. I will make it true, no matter what." Raffe could never put into words what he wanted to say, but he willed his words to convey all that he felt in his heart. "I can't leave you. You mean too much to me." Raffe felt tears stinging the corners of his eyes.

Penryn cupped the side of his face with her hand. "Shhh. It's going to be okay. I believe you."

Raffe could taste salt on his lips. Tears dripped down his face. Penryn cupped his face in her small hands, trailing kisses across his features. A kiss to his cheek. Another to his forehead. A soft flutter on his eyelids. With each kiss, something unfurled in Raffe's chest. A warm wanting. A burning desire. An intense need to be closer to her. Not just physically, but emotionally.

Pushing down all the doubts and warnings, Raffe gathered Penryn in his arms, pressing his lips against hers in a bruising ferocity.

Penryn let out a small noise that only made Raffe want her more. One arm wrapped around Penryn's waist, another around her shoulders, pulling her securely into his lap, her legs wrapped around him. She fit perfectly against him, like a missing puzzle piece that finally found its home.

Their lips continued to dance in a hurried frenzy. A sloppy mess of teeth and tongue and lips. Hands clutching and exploring warm skin. It wasn't until Raffe was trailing a line of kisses down Penryn's neck to her collarbone when he stopped, pulling back, looking her in the eyes. Lust and desire illuminated her face. Her pupils so black they melted into her dark eyes. Raffe had a feeling that he looked similar.

"Penryn?" His voice almost a growl.

"Yeah?" Penryn's voice was thick with desire.

"I think I…" Raffe paused searching her eyes. Reassuring himself that he needed to say this. He wanted to say this. "I think I -"

Penryn held a single finger to his lips. "I know Raffe. I know. I feel the same."

Raffe smiled. Relief spread through his chest. He wanted to say it, to say that he loved her, but he knew if he did there was no going back. No safety for her. The hellions and the angels would go after her without restraint.

Raffe sighed, a smile slowly crawling across his face. "Good to know." He winked and Penryn laughed a deep laugh full of joy.

Raffe relaxed. He may not be able to stop all the angels. He may not be able to bring the old Paige back. He may not be able to stop all the night terrors and nightmares that Penryn had endured, but he could reassure her that she was not alone. That he loved her and would always be there for her. That she could count on him as a partner, a friend, and an equal.

Raffe bent his head back toward Penryn. Hoping his eyes conveyed his longing and love for her. "Now, where were we, my little warrior?" They both chuckled then only the sound of their heartbeats filled the room.


End file.
